Conflagration
by kiniyakkii
Summary: The memories have always been there in the back of their minds, ready to explode into an inferno to consume all that they are.  A look at the deceased Vongola Bosses.


**Title:** Conflagration

**Summary:** The memories have always been there in the back of their minds, ready to explode into an inferno to consume all that they are. A look at the deceased Vongola Bosses.

**Primo:**

Giotto is far from the first to enter Dying Will Mode. Neither is he the first of his family to call upon the Flames. Giotto's family, his blood family, is one of the few remaining Clans that has access to records of a time when Flames were used as a tool of survival.

Giotto isn't even the first in his generation to call on the Flames at all, even if he is the first of his generation to enter Dying Will Mode. It is after his forehead lit with the Orange Flame and when his eyes turn from blue to the gold of his family that his grandfather teaches Giotto and his generation about the Dying Will, the Flames, and the beings that compose the very fabric of reality. Even if there were only few that consider those beings more than just legend.

His grandfather also teaches them about Hyper Intuition. Hyper Intuition is the ability to access a storage of memories of countless generations of Flame Users in the past. It is a very powerful gift that allowed Giotto's family to flourish even during the hard times. It is only accessible to those with Orange Flames, the rarest color of all Flames.

His grandfather also warns them about the downside of Hyper Intuition that every Orange Flame user should be aware of. Because one has access to memories of the past, there is the possibility that one will lose themselves to the memories. Giotto will never lose himself and prays that his descendants never will, either. But Giotto has seen the records and those instances are more common than Giotto is comfortable with.

**Secondo:**

Ricardo is, in fact, the first of Giotto's generation to call the Flames. They surface when Giotto is in trouble and in righteous anger brings forth the heat behind his eyes that Ricardo _knows_ will help save Giotto. Ricardo is one of the few that can call upon the Rage Flames and one of the fewer still to call upon them to protect someone else.

(His descendant, one that everyone thinks isn't related to Ricardo, calls the Rage Flames in a similar manner. Only, it is to protect his mother).

Ricardo and Giotto are best friends within the Clan, an odd pair in an odd family, especially since their personalities cause them to clash at the best of times. It is due to this friendship that when Giotto leaves for Japan, Ricardo honors Giotto's last request to watch out for the Family he had created. Vongola.

Ricardo is a _good_ boss and treats his men with respect. It is Ricardo's actions towards other Families that give Ricardo his fearsome reputation. Giotto only asked him to watch out for Vongola, after all. Any other Family that runs through Italy is fair game.

Unfortunately, Ricardo is one of the unlucky few to succumb to the memories. However, he is lucky enough to break free; Giotto pays for his freedom in honor of their childhood friendship.

**Terzo:**

The Third is not a kind man, not even indirectly like Ricardo was. However, the Third is a good leader and Vongola flourishes under his rule, which is the only reason that Ricardo is willing to pass on his title as Vongola Boss even as the Third flaunts his blood relation to Giotto.

It is the Third that starts the pattern of Vongola Bosses being related to Giotto since the Third is ignorant that blood did not determine the likelihood of being accepted by the Vongola Rings.

However, the Third is unlucky. His violent nature and actions drive him to be careless with the way he uses his Flame and the way he uses Hyper Intuition. The Third succumbs to the memories. This time, Giotto offers no help.

**Quarto:**

The Fourth is aware of his connection to the Clan and to Giotto. His mother is a chef who aspired to be more than the merchants and traders and assassins those in the Clan tend to be. It is his mother's influence that gives the Fourth his upbeat nature and his passion for cooking. It is his mother that teaches him everything, good and bad, about cooking. His mother is a very prominent poison mater and was eager to combine her cooking skills with her poison skills after all.

Soon enough, the Fourth is called to become Vongola Boss. Although he isn't the best boss due to his lack of training in politics and inexperience of leading people, the Fourth does his best. He is one of the most canny users of Hyper Intuition and it helps him lead Vongola.

Later, scholars would learn the reason that the Fourth is such a good leader is because of his rare ability. Unlike the generalized access to the memories most Orange Flame users have, the Fourth is able to recall memories associated with a certain subject. For the Fourth, that is a passion for cooking. He is not the first Orange Flame user to have such a passion.

It is because of that ability that the Fourth never loses himself. There are speculations that because the Fourth was in love with something that helped and promoted liveliness, the Fourth may have even been protected.

**Quinto:**

The Fifth is the only one that steadfastly declines the position. He never wants to be part of the underground, and never feels any desire to lead what is practically an army. The Fifth is a simple man with simple needs and has the unremarkable wish to settle down with a wife and raise a family.

When the Fifth is presented with the other possible candidates, the Fifth accepts the position. He may dislike the underground, but he will never subject the people to the likely horrors other Bosses may have inflicted on them.

It is because of this duty that the Fifth rarely calls on the Orange Flames, or Hyper Intuition. He prefers to listen to his instincts. After a few years and a few scuffles, the Fifth comes to realize that he cares for the Family that he previously wanted nothing to do with.

The Fifth never falls to the memories because he simply never uses them. Rather, he decides to make Vongola strong politically and to keep the Family safe. Aside from Giotto, he is the Boss that cares for civilians the most.

When he dies, Giotto thanks him for it.

**Sesto:**

The Sixth is the first Boss that actually strives for the position. He learns of the Vongola Family's noble beginnings and wants to return Vongola to its former glory. He makes those plans at a young age and practices with his boomerang until it is as deadly as the guns. He studies successful governments and practices calling on the Orange Flames to reach his goal.

It is because of this devotion that the Sixth loses himself to the memories, unwilling to back out of any situation no matter how much. He relies too much on Hyper Intuition rather than his own instincts or even to his Family. The memories cascade through him and unlike his boomerang, the Sixth doesn't com back.

**Settimo:**

The Seventh is originally a member of the Clan, from a small family in charge of the records. During the rise of Vongola, the Clan hid itself from the world.

He is praised for his ability to condense energy, and with his knowledge of Giotto and his intentions with Vongola, leaves the Clan to join the Family. He quickly becomes one of the top members and is eventually presented with the opportunity of becoming Boss. Even if the Seventh isn't certain on how to lead an army, he knows what he wants to do.

The Seventh takes and modifies a pair of guns and quickly creates the Dying Will Bullets to counteract his weak Orange Flames. The Dying Will invoked by the Bullets is a bastardized form of the Dying Will Mode, which prompts the difference between the Dying Will Mode and the Hyper Dying Will Mode, which is actually the original.

The Seventh never loses himself to the memories. His Flames are simply too weak. However, he loses himself to the underground, and like Giotto's intentions for Vongola, the Seventh's noble wish was shot straight to hell.

**Octavo:**

The Eighth is from a time where women are considered useless. While she doesn't necessarily want to be the next Boss, she strives for that role. Her one mission in life is to prove that women aren't helpless and can be as strong as men without losing their femininity. She tattoos flowers on her face to prove that.

The Eighth takes up the crossbow, hand to hand, reads books on politics and _makes_ herself someone to be reckoned with. She doesn't want to be accused of using abilities that will giver a one-up over men. Her critics ignore that the previous Bosses do the exact same thing, of course.

The Eighth doesn't lose herself to the memories. She can't, not with the world watching and waiting for her to fail. Not with her need to prove herself. It is because of that that Vongola flourishes under her care, even if it isn't for anyone else's needs but her own.


End file.
